Abraham Lincoln

Turn the pages of America’s political history, and you are sure to find one man who clearly outshines all others and manages to attract the attention and interest of all, till date, - Abraham Lincoln! Nicknamed ‘Honest Abe’ or ‘Father Abraham’, Lincoln was, by far, one of the most powerful and greatest Presidents’ that America has ever witnessed. Rising from a modest and humble beginning, it was his sheer determination and honest effort that led him to the nation’s highest office. An astute politician and proficient lawyer, he played a vital role in unification of the states and led from the front for the cause of abolishing slavery from the country, eventually giving people equal rights, irrespective of caste, color or creed. He not only envisioned but actually brought to the forefront a truly democratic government which was led by the concept of ‘by the people, of the people and for the people’. What’s more, Lincoln led the country when it faced its greatest constitutional, military and moral crises. He not only turned up victorious but also was effective in strengthening the national government and modernizing the economy. He was a saviour of the Union and an emancipator for the slaves. However, just as astonishing was his rise to the top-notch position and his eventual governance, his death was equally bewildering as he became the first U.S President ever to be assassinated. Though in his life Abraham Lincoln has been felicitated with no awards and honors, as there did not exist any awards then, he has till date retained a spot in the Top Three Presidents since 1940s. As for the presidential ranking polls conducted since 1948, Lincoln has been rated at the very top in the majority of polls.

• Born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Lincoln, in a log-cabin in Hardin County Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln was the second of the three children of the couple. He had an elder sister Sarah and a younger brother Thomas who died in infancy.
• Senior Lincoln was a hardworking man. Through his relentless efforts, he became one the richest men in the country. He was respected and honoured by one and all. However, the blissfulness did not last long as Thomas Lincoln lost all what he had, which led to the family shifting base to the present Spencer County, Indiana.
• Religiously, the Lincolns attended Separate Baptists church and had opposing views regarding alcohol, dancing and slavery. They completely believed in restrictive moral standards.
• In 1818, tragedy struck the family as Nancy Lincoln left for the heavenly abode, after suffering from milk sickness. The death of his mother had devastating effect on young Lincoln who grew alienated from his father. However, the gap was abridged by his stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston whom he grew close to.
• Billed as lazy and indolent by most due to his dislike for the hard labor associated with frontier life, Lincoln wronged all as he grew up to be responsible and dedicated. He completed all the chores expected of a boy from a household and became an adept axe-man in his work, building rail fences. He also dutifully submitted all his earning to his father.
• As far as his education is concerned, Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge. Though both his parents were illiterate and unschooled, they encouraged Lincoln to read and write, especially his stepmom Sarah. It is estimated that all through his life Lincoln did not have not more than 18 months of formal education.
• Since there was not much scope of formal education in the Indiana wilderness, he walked for miles at stretch to borrow a book. He was an avid reader and had read all the then popular books several times, including the Bible. Thus, the knowledge and wisdom that Lincoln possessed was mostly self-taught.
• The family shifted base to Coles County, Illinois in 1831, after fearing milk sickness. At the age of 22, Lincoln set off on his own. His first stop was in a village of New Salem in Sangamon County, where he took up a job of transferring goods by flatboat from New Salem to New Orleans via the Sangamon, Illinois, and Mississippi rivers